Linear cutting and stapling device with selectively disengageable cutting member

ABSTRACT

A surgical stapling instrument including a selectively actuatable cutting member. The stapling instrument may be used as a surgical stapler without cutting tissue or, if desired, the surgeon may selectively actuate the cutting member to cut tissue as the staples are being deployed and formed. A stapling instrument can include an actuator knob that has at least one pusher bar attached thereto. Advancement of the actuator knob in a distal direction causes the pusher bars to apply a firing motion to the staples contained within a staple cartridge supported within the stapling instrument. A knife bar may be selectively coupleable to the actuator knob by a selector switch that is movable from an actuated position wherein movement of the actuator knob in the distal direction advances the knife bar which has a cutting blade portion to advance between rows of staples in the staple cartridge to an unactuated position wherein movement of the actuator knob advances the pusher bars without advancing the knife bar.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to stapling instruments and, in various embodiments, to a surgical cutting and stapling instrument for producing one or more rows of staples.

2. Background of the Related Art

In recent years, there has been an increasing tendency for surgeons to use stapling instruments to suture body tissues such as a lung, an esophagus, a stomach, a duodenum and/or other organs in the intestinal tract. The use of an appropriate stapling instrument in many instances may perform a better job in less time and simplify previously difficult surgical procedures such as gastrointestinal anastomoses. Previous linear two and four row cutting staplers comprised cartridge-less instruments into which staples were individually hand-loaded. Other previous devices have included a presterilized disposable staple loading unit and a cutting member which could be utilized for dividing the tissue and forming the rows of staples simultaneously. An example of such a surgical stapler is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,591, entitled INSTRUMENT FOR PLACING LATERAL GASTROINTESTINAL ANASTOMOSES, which issued on Mar. 10, 1970, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

A stapling instrument can include a pair of cooperating elongate jaw members, wherein each jaw member can be adapted to be inserted into an internal, tubular body organ to be anastomosed. In various embodiments, one of the jaw members can support a staple cartridge with at least two laterally spaced rows of staples, and the other jaw member can support an anvil with staple-forming pockets aligned with the rows of staples in the staple cartridge. Generally, the stapling instrument can further include a pusher bar and knife blade assembly which is slidable relative to the jaw members to sequentially eject staples from the staple cartridge via camming surfaces on the pusher bar. In at least one embodiment, the camming surfaces can be configured to activate a plurality of staple drivers carried by the cartridge and associated with the individual staples to push the staples against the anvil and form laterally spaced rows of deformed staples in the tissue gripped between the jaw members. In typical stapling instruments, however, the anvil is unmovable relative to the staple cartridge once the jaw members have been assembled together and the formed height of the staples cannot be adjusted. In at least one embodiment, the knife blade can trail the pusher bar and cut the tissue along a line between the staple rows. However, the knife blade and pusher bar generally comprise an assembly such that both the pusher bar(s) and knife blade are simultaneously actuated. Examples of such stapling instruments are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,695, entitled SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, which issued on Feb. 7, 1984, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Other examples of linear staples and staple cartridges are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/725,993, filed, Mar. 17, 2010, entitled STAPLE CARTRIDGE, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

During some surgical procedures, it is not necessary to cut tissue during the stapling process. In many existing linear stapling devices, the staple are fired as the cutting member is driven through the tissue. Accordingly, a need exists for a linear cutting and stapling device that has a selectively disengageable cutting member so that the surgeon may use the device to install staples without cutting tissue, yet have the ability to cut tissue should the need arise.

The foregoing discussion is intended only to illustrate some of the shortcomings present in the field of the invention at the time, and should not be taken as a disavowal of claim scope.

SUMMARY

In at least one form of the present invention, a surgical instrument is provided. In various embodiments, the surgical instrument includes a first jaw member that is configured to operably support a staple cartridge that has a plurality of staples supported therein. A second jaw member is removably couplable to the first jaw member to enable tissue to be clamped therebetween. At least one pusher bar assembly is operably supported relative to the first jaw member and is configured to selectively apply a firing motion to the staples supported in the staple cartridge as the at least one pusher bar assembly is distally advanced through the staple cartridge. A knife bar, configured to cut tissue clamped between the first and second jaw members, is operably supported relative to the first jaw member and the at least one pusher bar assembly. A selector switch operably interfaces with the knife bar and is movable between an activated position wherein an application of an activation motion to the at least one pusher bar assembly causes the knife bar and the at least one pusher bar assembly to simultaneously move in a distal direction within the first jaw member and a deactivated position whereupon application of the activation motion to the at least one pusher bar assembly causes the at least one pusher bar assembly to move in the distal direction without moving the knife bar in the distal direction.

In accordance with other general aspects of the present invention, there is provided a surgical staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapling instrument that has an end effector with first and second jaw members for clamping tissue therebetween. The surgical stapling instrument also has a knife bar assembly for generating a cutting motion and a pusher bar arrangement for generating a staple firing motion that is independent from the cutting motion. Various embodiments of the staple cartridge comprise a cartridge body that is configured to be removably supported in the end effector. The cartridge body operably supports a plurality of staples that are oriented in plural longitudinally extending rows and are configured to be ejected therefrom upon application of the staple firing motion thereto. A cutting blade is operably supported in the cartridge body and is selectively movable from an unactuated position at a first end of the cartridge body to an actuated position at a second end of the cartridge body upon application of the cutting motion thereto. The cutting blade is configured to selectively remain in the unactuated position during the application of the firing motion to all of the staples and move from the unactuated position to the actuated position upon application of the cutting motion thereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a stapling instrument of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the stapling instrument of FIG. 1 partially disassembled with the upper anvil carrying jaw member detached from the lower staple cartridge carrying jaw member;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view showing the stapling instrument of FIG. 1 in an assembled configuration;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the stapling instrument of FIG. 1 taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1 showing a cam mechanism for urging the rear portions of the upper and lower jaw members apart;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the anvil carrying jaw member of the stapling instrument of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the staple cartridge carrying jaw member of the stapling instrument of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the stapling instrument of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a front end view of the stapling instrument of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a rear end view of the stapling instrument of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a pusher bar and knife blade assembly of the stapling instrument of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a pusher block and an actuator knob which are components of the pusher bar and knife blade assembly of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of a pusher block with the knife selector switch in a deactivated position;

FIG. 13 is another partial cross-sectional view of the portion of pusher block of FIG. 12 with the knife selector switch in an activated position;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the pusher block and knife bar of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view of the rear portion of the stapling instrument of FIG. 1 illustrating the cam mechanism in its inoperative position;

FIG. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view of the rear portion of the stapling instrument of FIG. 1 illustrating the cam mechanism in its operative position;

FIG. 17 is a side view of the staple cartridge of the stapling instrument of FIG. 1;

FIG. 18 is a top view of a staple cartridge embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a bottom view of the staple cartridge of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a partial cross-sectional view of the anvil and staple cartridge carrying jaw members of FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrating the operation of the pusher bar and knife blade assembly of FIG. 10;

FIG. 21 is a side elevational view of another staple cartridge embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 22 is a top view of the staple cartridge embodiment of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a side elevational view of another staple cartridge embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a partial perspective view of a cutting blade and knife bar arrangement of an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 25 is a partial perspective view of a cutting blade and knife bar arrangement of another embodiment of the present invention.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, in one form, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described to provide an overall understanding of the principles of the structure, function, manufacture, and use of the devices and methods disclosed herein. One or more examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the devices and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments and that the scope of the various embodiments of the present invention is defined solely by the claims. The features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with the features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Reference throughout the specification to “various embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “one embodiment,” or “an embodiment”, or the like, means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in one embodiment”, or “in an embodiment”, or the like, in places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Thus, the particular features, structures, or characteristics illustrated or described in connection with one embodiment may be combined, in whole or in part, with the features structures, or characteristics of one or more other embodiments without limitation. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

The terms “proximal” and “distal” are used herein with reference to a clinician manipulating the handle portion of the surgical instrument. The term “proximal” referring to the portion closest to the clinician and the term “distal” referring to the portion located away from the clinician. It will be further appreciated that, for convenience and clarity, spatial terms such as “vertical”, “horizontal”, “up”, and “down” may be used herein with respect to the drawings. However, surgical instruments are used in many orientations and positions, and these terms are not intended to be limiting and/or absolute.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in connection with various embodiments of the present invention, the linear stapling instrument, generally 20, comprises an upper elongated anvil carrying jaw member 22 and a lower elongated staple cartridge carrying jaw member 24. Exemplary stapling instruments of this type are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2009/0200355 A1, entitled SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT WITH IMPROVED FIRING TRIGGER ARRANGEMENT, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper anvil carrying jaw member 22 is supported by a handle 26 with a front portion of the jaw member 22 extending forwardly therefrom. Lower staple cartridge carrying jaw member 24 is supported by a handle 28 with a front portion of the jaw member 24 extending forwardly therefrom. As shown in FIG. 3, upper handle 26 and lower handle 28 are suitably shaped to form a hand grip to facilitate the handling and operation of the stapling instrument by a surgeon. An enlarged front protrusion 27 and a small rear protrusion 29 are provided on each handle for this purpose. In various embodiments, handles 26 and 28 can be made of plastic of other lightweight materials, for example, while jaw members 22 and 24 can be made of stainless steel or other similar materials, for example.

As shown in FIG. 5, in various embodiments, the “second” or upper jaw member 22 comprises a one-piece elongated channel-shaped frame including a pair of opposed, elongated side walls 30 connected by a top wall 31. Upper handle 26 includes a pair of depending ears 32 located inside the upper handle adjacent to its front end. Upper jaw member 22 includes a slot 34 (FIG. 4) formed at an intermediate position along its top wall 31 through which depending ears 32 can project downwardly. A latch pin 36 extends through holes formed in side walls 30 of upper jaw member 22 and through holes formed in depending ears 32 to pivotally connect the upper jaw member to upper handle 26.

Referring to FIG. 5, in various embodiments, the front portion of upper jaw member 22 has a pair of elongated inwardly extending flanges 38 which defines an anvil 40 of the stapling instrument. Flanges 38 are separated by a central longitudinal slot 42 which extends along the entire length of anvil 40. At the proximal end of central slot 42, the flanges 38 are provided with inwardly sloped guide surfaces 41. In various embodiments, each flange 38 has two longitudinal rows of uniformly spaced staple-forming pockets 44. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a tapered anvil tip 46 is mounted at the front of anvil carrying jaw member 22 to facilitate the insertion of the jaw member into hollow, tubular body organs, for example. Anvil tip 46 includes an elongated body 48 (FIG. 4) which can be inserted through the longitudinal passageway above anvil 40 defined by side walls 30 and flanges 38 of the upper jaw member. This elongated body 48 can extend between depending ears 32 above latch pin 36 and can include an enlarged rear portion 50 located behind ears 32 to hold anvil tip 46 in place on upper jaw member 22.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 6, in various embodiments, the “first” or lower cartridge carrying jaw member 24 comprises a one-piece elongated channel-shaped frame including a pair of opposed, elongated side walls 52 connected by a bottom wall 53. Along the rearward portion of lower jaw member 24, a pair of spaced, elongated upstanding side flanges 54 (FIG. 2) can extend upward from its opposed side walls 52. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in at least one embodiment, the width of lower jaw member 24 between its side flanges 54 is greater than the width of upper jaw member 22 between its side walls 30 to permit the rear portion of the upper jaw member to be received between side flanges 54 of the lower jaw member when the stapling instrument is assembled for operation. As shown in FIG. 2, each side flange 54 of lower jaw member 24 includes a vertical notch 56 located in alignment with latch pin 36 on upper jaw member 22. When upper jaw member 22 and lower jaw member 24 are assembled, the opposite ends of latch pin 36 can be received in notches 56.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the lower jaw member 24 is configured to support a staple cartridge 60 which is adapted to receive a plurality of surgical staples 61 (FIG. 20) arranged in at least two laterally spaced longitudinal rows. Staple cartridge 60 can be mounted at the front portion of lower jaw member 24 between its side walls 52. Staple cartridge 60 is divided longitudinally by a central, elongated slot 62 (FIG. 6) which extends from a first or proximal end 67 of the cartridge toward its second or distal end 69. In various embodiments, a plurality of staple openings 64 formed in staple cartridge 60 can be arranged in two pairs of laterally spaced rows, with each pair of rows disposed on opposite sides of central longitudinal slot 62. A plurality of surgical staples 61 (FIG. 20) are mounted within openings 64 of cartridge 60. As shown in FIG. 6, the staple openings 64 in adjacent rows are staggered to provide more effective stapling of the tissue when the instrument is operated. Referring to FIGS. 18 and 19, staple cartridge 60 can include a pair of longitudinal slots 66 located on opposite sides of elongated central slot 62 and disposed between the staggered rows of openings 64 on each side of the central slot. Each longitudinal slot 66 can extend from the proximal end 67 of cartridge 60 towards its distal end 69.

As shown in FIG. 20, in various embodiments, a plurality of staple drivers 65 are slidably mounted in staple openings 64 for actuating the staples 61 which are loaded into staple cartridge 60. Referring to FIG. 6, each staple driver 65 can be designed to simultaneously actuate two staples 61 located in the adjacent rows provided in staple cartridge 60. Thus, in various embodiments, a first set of staple drivers 65 is provided for actuating the staples 61 in the staggered rows located on one side of central longitudinal slot 62, and a second set of staple drivers 65 can be provided for actuating the staples 61 in the pair of adjacent rows located on the other side of central longitudinal slot 62.

Referring to FIG. 2, various embodiments of a stapling instrument 20 includes a latching mechanism, generally 90, for latching upper jaw member 22 and lower jaw member 24 together at an intermediate position along the jaw members. In various embodiments, jaw members 22 and 24 can be latched together at a position adjacent to the proximal ends of anvil 40 and staple cartridge 60. In at least one embodiment, latching mechanism 90 comprises a latch arm 92 (FIG. 2) that is pivotally connected to lower jaw member 24 via pivot pin 80 (FIG. 4). Latch arm 92 can be channel-shaped in configuration and can include a pair of opposed, elongated side walls 94 (FIG. 6) which are spaced apart by a distance sufficient to span side walls 52 of lower jaw member 24. Each side wall 94 of latch arm 92 includes an upwardly and forwardly extending hook member 96 provided with a forwardly facing slot 98 for receiving latch pin 36. A shroud 100 is mounted on the lower surface of latch arm 92. When latch arm 92 is closed, as shown in FIG. 3, shroud 100 can be aligned with the bottom of lower handle 28 to facilitate the handling and operation of stapling instrument 20 by the surgeon. In various embodiments, shroud 100 can be made of plastic or other lightweight materials, for example, while latch arm 92 can be made of stainless steel, for example. As shown in FIG. 7, shroud 100 can include elongated flanges 102 and 104 extending outwardly from its opposite sides which can serve as fingergrips to enable latch arm 92 to be pivoted downwardly from its latched to its unlatched position. When latch arm 92 is moved to its closed or latched position, the surfaces of slots 98 of hook members 96 cooperate with latch pin 36 which can act as an over-center latch to maintain latch arm 92 in its latched position.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 10, various embodiments of stapling instrument 20 include an improved pusher bar and a selectively engageable knife bar assembly, generally 110, which can be slidably mounted for longitudinal movement relative to upper and lower jaw members 22 and 24, respectively, for driving or “firing” staples 61 from staple cartridge 60 into tissue gripped between the jaw members. As the staples are fired, they are driven through the tissue clamped between the jam members and into the anvil 40. If desired, the surgeon may also cut the tissue along a line between the rows of staples formed in the tissue. In various embodiments, pusher bar and knife blade assembly 110 includes a pusher block 112 (FIG. 6) which can be slidably received within the lower channel-shaped jaw member 24 between its upstanding side flanges 54. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, pusher block 112 has an actuator knob 114 that includes a flange portion 116 that is attached to the pusher block 112 by, for example, adhesive, welding, snap features, flanges, etc. Flange 116 of actuator knob 114 can extend through and rides along an elongated slot 122 (FIG. 2) formed in one side flange 54 of lower jaw member 24.

Also in various embodiments, the pusher bar and knife blade assembly 110 includes a pair of staple pusher bars 124 (FIG. 10) projecting forwardly from pusher block 112 and slidably received in elongated slots 66 (FIG. 19) of staple cartridge 60. In certain embodiments, pusher block 112 has a pair of vertical slots 126 (FIG. 11) in which pusher bars 124 are secured. In the illustrated embodiments, for example, two pusher bars 124 are employed. Such arrangement serves to facilitate the actuation of multiple rows of staples as will be discussed in further detail below. However, other embodiments are contemplated that employ at least one pusher bar and more than two pusher bars. As shown in FIG. 10, the front end of each staple pusher bar 124 has a wedge-shaped tip 128 which defines an inclined cam surface 130 for engaging staple drivers 65 as pusher bars 124 are advanced into staple cartridge 60. As shown in FIG. 20, each staple driver 65 is provided with a sloped surface 132 oriented at the same angle as cam surface 130 of each staple pusher bar 124 to provide a flat, sliding contact between the surfaces. As the pusher bars 124 are moved distally through the staple cartridge, they contact the staple drivers 65 to apply a “firing motion” thereto which causes the drivers to move the staples into forming contact with the anvil 40.

As can be seen in FIGS. 10-14, various embodiments of the selectively engageable knife blade assembly 110 includes a slidable knife selector switch 300. In certain embodiments, the pusher block 112 has a longitudinal slot 302 that is sized to slidably receive the knife support bar 136. The knife selector switch 300 includes a selector bar 304 that is laterally slidable in a transverse slot 310 in the pusher block 112 and is configured to retainingly engage and disengage a proximal end portion 320 of the knife support bar 136. See FIGS. 10 and 11. In various embodiments, the selector bar 304 has a slot 330 therein that can slidably receive the proximal end portion 320 of the knife support bar 136 which has a hook-like formation 322 thereon. See FIGS. 12 and 13. Thus, when the selector bar 304 is transversely slid to the deactivated position shown in FIG. 12, the slot 330 in selector bar 304 is aligned to enable the pusher block 112 to slide relative to the knife bar 136. As such, when the selector bar 304 is in the deactivated position, the surgeon may slide the pusher block 112 in a distal direction “DD” to distally advance the pusher bars 124 without advancing the knife bar 136. When the surgeon desires to cut tissue, the selector bar 304 is transversely slid into the activated position depicted in FIG. 13. When in that position, the hook-like formation 322 engages the selector bar 304 such that movement of the pusher bar 112 in the distal direction “DD” causes the knife bar 136 to be advanced in the distal direction with the pusher bars 124. Likewise, when the surgeon moves the pusher bar 112 in the proximal direction “PD”, the knife bar 136 also moves in the proximal direction to be retracted out of the staple cartridge 60.

In certain embodiments, as can be seen in FIGS. 4, 10, and 20, an inclined knife blade 138 that has a beveled cutting edge 140 is formed or otherwise attached to the distal end 137 of the knife bar 136. The beveled cutting edge 140 of knife blade 138 can be oriented at an angle relative to elongate jaw members 22 and 24 and can be slidably received in central longitudinal slot 62 of staple cartridge 60. In other embodiments, a separate knife blade 438 may be provided in the staple cartridge 60′. See FIGS. 21 and 22. In such embodiments, for example, the staple cartridge 60′ may be substantially identical to staple cartridge 60 described above, except that staple cartridge 60′ includes a longitudinally movable knife blade 438 therein. In such embodiments, the staple cartridge 60′ may have a shroud 440 formed thereon or attached thereto as shown in FIG. 23 to protect the cutting edge of the knife blade 438 prior to use. The knife blade 438 is slidably oriented with the central elongated slot 62 (FIG. 22) and is adapted to be driven in the distal direction DD when contacted by a distal end of the knife bar 136′. See FIG. 24. When using such embodiments, once the knife blade 438 has been distally advanced to the distal end of the central elongated slot 62, the knife blade 438 will remain in that position when the surgeon retracts the pusher block 122 and the knife bar 136′ as well as the pusher bars 124. Thus, the surgeon may discard the spent cartridge 60′ and use a new cartridge that has a fresh knife blade 438′, that may or may not ultimately be used. In alternative embodiments, the knife blade 438 may be provided with a hook feature 450 that is adapted to engage a hook feature 462 on a distal end 460 of the knife bar 136″. See FIG. 25.

In accordance with various embodiments of the invention, stapling instrument 20 can be provided with jaw clamping means for applying clamping forces to the jaw members to urge staple cartridge 60 and anvil 40 together during the formation of staples 61. The jaw clamping means can include means for urging the jaw members apart at a position remote from the latching mechanism to resist the forces exerted on staple cartridge 60 and anvil 40 when staples 61 are formed. In at least one embodiment, a cam means can be mounted on one of the jaw members and can be engageable with the other jaw member for moving said jaw members apart at the remote position to urge staple cartridge 60 and anvil 40 together. In various embodiments, a cam member can be pivotally mounted on one of the jaw members at a position remote from the latching mechanism. The cam member can be pivotable from a first inoperative position to a second operative position to move the remote ends of the jaw members apart. The cam member can be operable by pusher block 112 of pusher bar and knife blade assembly 110 to move to its operative position when the pusher block is advanced and to return to its inoperative position when the pusher block is retracted.

In various embodiments, a cam mechanism, generally 150, can be located adjacent to the rear end of lower jaw member 24, as shown in FIG. 4. Cam mechanism 150 can include a cam member 152 pivotally mounted on a transverse pivot pin 154 extending between upstanding side flanges 54 of lower jaw member 24. Cam member 152 can include a first lower cam surface 156 for engaging top wall 31 of upper jaw member 22 with cam 152 in its first inoperative position (FIG. 15) and a second higher cam surface 158 for engaging the top wall 31 of upper jaw member 22 with cam 152 disposed in its second operative position (FIG. 16). First cam surface 156 can be arranged to maintain upper and lower jaw members substantially parallel with cam 152 in its inoperative position. Second cam surface 158 can be arranged to raise the rear end of upper jaw member 22 by approximately 0.125 inch (3.2 mm), for example, when cam 152 pivots from its inoperative position to its operative position. In addition, upper jaw member 22 can be sufficiently flexible to permit the rear portion of upper jaw member 22 to bend upward away from lower jaw member 24 when cam member 152 is moved from its inoperative position to its operative position.

As shown in FIG. 4, cam member 152 can include a radially extending notch 160 which divides the cam into a large front finger 162 and a small rear finger 164. Front cam finger 162 can include a flat, rearwardly facing surface 165, and rear cam finger 164 can include a sloped, forwardly facing surface 166. With cam 152 in its inoperative position, front cam finger 162 and rear cam finger 164 can extend downwardly through an elongated slot 168 formed in bottom wall 53 of lower jaw member 24.

In various embodiments, cam member 152 can be operable by pusher block 112 to move from its inoperative position to its operative position when the pusher block is advanced. As shown in FIG. 11, pusher block 112 has a cam actuator pin 174 protruding therefrom. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 11, with cam member 152 disposed in its inoperative position, cam actuator pin 174 is received in notch 160 between front finger 162 and rear finger 164 of the cam member.

As shown in FIG. 15, with cam member 152 disposed in its first inoperative position, top wall 31 of upper jaw member 22 can rest on first cam surface 156 of the cam member. With cam member 152 in its inoperative position, top wall 31 of upper jaw member 22 can be substantially parallel to bottom wall 53 of lower jaw member 24. In addition, pusher block 112 can be located in its start position. When pusher block 112 is advanced, as indicated by arrow 182 (FIG. 13), cam actuator pin 174 can engage rear surface 165 of front cam finger 162 to rotate cam member 152 in a counter-clockwise direction, as indicated by arrow 184, to pivot the cam member to its second operative position and move its second cam surface 158 into engagement with top wall 31 of upper jaw member 22. With cam member 152 pivoted to its operative position, the top wall 31 of upper jaw member 22 can be bent upwardly, as indicated by arrow 186, away from bottom wall 53 of lower jaw member 24. The cam member can apply forces to upper jaw member 22 and lower jaw member 24 which bend the rear portions of the jaw members apart. As a result of the bending the rear portions of upper jaw member 22 and lower jaw member 24 apart, additional clamping forces can be applied to the front portions of upper jaw member 22 and lower jaw member 24 to clamp anvil 40 and staple cartridge 60 against the tissue gripped between the jaw members. Thus, anvil 40 and staple cartridge 60 can be urged together to resist the forces exerted on the anvil and staple cartridge when pusher bar and knife blade assembly 110 is advanced to form staples 61 and cut the tissue.

Referring to FIG. 16, when pusher block 112 is retracted after staples 61 are formed, cam actuator pin 174 can engage sloped surface 166 of rear cam finger 164 to pivot cam member 152 in a clockwise direction. As cam actuator pin 174 moves along sloped surface 166 into notch 160, cam member 152 can pivot in a clockwise direction and return to its first inoperative position (FIG. 15) with its first cam surface 156 in engagement with top wall 31 of upper jaw member 22. As a result, the forces exerted on the rear portions of upper jaw member 22 and lower jaw member 24 by cam 152 can be released and top wall 31 of upper jaw member 22 can return to a substantially parallel relationship with bottom wall 53 of lower jaw member 24. Similarly, the clamping forces applied to the front portions of jaw members 22 and 24 can be released to unclamp anvil 40 and staple cartridge 60.

In various embodiments, stapling instrument 20 can include spacer means mounted on one of the jaw members for maintaining a predetermined gap between staple cartridge 60 and anvil 40 of the stapling instrument. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, this spacer means can be embodied as a spacer pin 190 mounted adjacent to the distal end of staple cartridge 60. Spacer pin 190 can extend vertically upward from bottom wall 53 of lower jaw member 24 through staple cartridge 60 and project upwardly from the top of the staple cartridge by a predetermined distance. As shown in FIG. 5, one flange 38 of anvil 40 can include a flange section 192 adjacent to its distal end for engaging spacer pin 190. With the stapling instrument assembled for operation (FIG. 4), spacer pin 190 can engage flange section 192 to maintain a predetermined gap between anvil 40 and staple cartridge 60.

In the operation of stapling instrument 20, the so-called “target tissue” is initially placed between jaw members 22 and 24 and clamped by the jaw members. Thus, handles 26 and 28 can be unlatched by pivotal movement of latch arm 92 downward to its unlatched position (FIG. 2). As a result, the opposite ends of latch pin 36 can be disengaged from slots 98 formed in hook members 96 of latching arm 92. Thereafter, upper and lower jaw members 22 and 24 can be separated by disengaging latch pin 36 from slots 56 formed in side flanges 54 of the lower jaw member.

Next, the target tissue is placed on jaw members 22 and 24. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, a piece of tubular, intestinal tissue may be slipped onto the front portion of each jaw member. After the tissue is placed on the jaw member, stapling instrument 20 can be reassembled. The reassembly can be accomplished by aligning latch pin 36 with vertical slots 56 formed in upstanding side flanges 54 of lower jaw member 24. Thereafter, side flanges 54 of lower jaw member 24 can be positioned inside upper handle 26, spanning side walls 30 of upper jaw member 22, while the opposite ends of latch pin 36 can be inserted into vertical slots 56. Finally, latch arm 92 can be pivoted upward to its latched position (FIG. 3) with its cover 100 flush with the bottom of lower handle 28. As a result, hook members 92 can be pivoted over latch pin 36 and slots 98 can receive the opposite ends of the latch pin. Thus, upper jaw member 22 and lower jaw member 24 can be latched together at an intermediate position therealong adjacent to anvil 40 and staple cartridge 60. In addition, spacer pin 190 can engage flange section 192 of anvil 40 through the body tissue to maintain a predetermined gap between anvil 40 and staple cartridge 60.

After the tissue is clamped between the jaw members, the surgeon may then determine whether he or she wishes to cut and staple the tissue or whether it is desirable to staple the tissue without cutting through it. If the surgeon desires to cut the tissue, the selector bar 304 is transversely moved to the activated position (FIG. 13). The stapling instrument 20 can then be fired by advancing actuator knob 114 to actuate the pusher bar and knife blade assembly 110. Referring to FIG. 20, during the initial advance of pusher block 112, pusher bars 124 slide distally and the wedge-shaped tips 128 of the pusher bars begin to advance through slots 66 of staple cartridge 60. As the pusher block 112 advances in the distal direction “DD”, its cam actuator pin 174 engages rear surface 165 of front cam finger 162 to pivot cam 152 counter-clockwise, as indicated by arrow 184 of FIG. 16, to move the second cam surface 158 of the cam member into engagement with top wall 31 of upper jaw member 22. Cam member 152 applies forces to upper jaw member 22 and lower jaw member 24 which bend the rear portions of the jaw members apart. As a result, the rear end of top wall 31 of upper jaw member 22 can be bent upward by approximately 0.125 inch (3.2 mm), for example, relative to the rear end of bottom wall 53 of lower jaw member 24. The bending of the rear ends of jaw members 22 and 24 apart can result in additional clamping forces on the front portions of the jaw members to clamp anvil 40 and staple cartridge 60 against the tissue gripped between the jaw members. These additional clamping forces tend to resist the forces exerted on anvil 40 and staple cartridge 60, while the tissue is cut and staples 61 are formed against anvil 40, to maintain the desired spacing between anvil 40 and staple cartridge 60 to produce formed staples 61 which are substantially uniform in height.

As pusher block 112 is advanced, staple pusher bars 124 can be moved longitudinally along slots 66 provided in staple cartridge 60. The two wedge-like cam surfaces 130 of staple pusher bars 124 can move through slots 66 into engagement with the sloped surfaces of staple drivers 65 to sequentially drive staples 61 from cartridge 60 and to form staples 61 into B-shaped configuration against anvil flanges 38. The cam surfaces 130 can be located at the same distance from pusher block 112 to simultaneously actuate staple drivers 65 located on opposite sides of central longitudinal slot 62. At the same time, the knife blade 138 is advanced through central longitudinal slot 42 of anvil 40 and through central longitudinal slot 62 of staple cartridge 60 to cut the tissue gripped between the jaw members. The additional clamping forces applied to the front portions of upper jaw member 22 and lower jaw member 24 via cam mechanism 150 can tend to resist the forces exerted on anvil 40 and staple cartridge 60 when staples 61 are formed.

After pusher block 112 is fully advanced to form all of the staples in cartridge 60, the pusher block 112 can be retracted toward its start position by retraction of actuator knob 114. As a result, staple pusher bars 124 and knife blade 138 are simultaneously retracted from staple cartridge 60 and anvil 40.

As pusher block 112 returns toward its start position, cam actuator pin 174 can engage sloped surface 166 of rear cam finger 164 to pivot cam member 152 in a clockwise direction toward its inoperative position. Cam actuator pin 174 can move along sloped surface 166 into slot 160 between cam fingers 162 and 164 to return cam member 152 to its inoperative position. As a result, second cam surface 158 of cam member 152 can be disengaged from the top wall of upper jaw member 22 and rear end of top wall 31 of upper jaw member 22 and move downwardly into engagement with first cam surface 156. At the same time, front cam finger 162 can pivot downwardly. Thereafter, with cam member 152 in its inoperative position, latching arm 92 can be pivoted downward, as shown in FIG. 2, to permit upper jaw member 22 and lower jaw member 24 to be disassembled. At this point, the cut and stapled tissue can be removed from the jaw members.

For those procedures not requiring the cutting of tissue, the surgeon moves the selector bar 304 to the deactivated position (FIG. 12). When in that position, the pusher block 122 is free to be longitudinally advanced in the distal direction on the knife bar 136 without causing the knife bar 136 to be distally advanced. Thus, movement of the pusher block 122 activates the staple pusher bars 124 in the manner described above, but no tissue is cut by the blade 138. Accordingly, these embodiments provide the surgeon of the additional flexibility of being able to staple tissue without cutting through it. In addition, various embodiments of the present invention include a staple cartridge that has multiple rows of staples operably supported therein and a fresh cutting blade that may or may not be used. If the surgeon desires to cut the tissue during the firing of the staples, the selector bar is moved to the activated position and the pusher bar is advanced. Once the tissue has been cut and the staples are fired, the cartridge may be disposed of. Such arrangement enables the surgical instrument to be reused with a fresh cartridge that contains a new knife blade. Still other embodiments employ a reusable knife blade arrangement.

The devices disclosed herein can be designed to be disposed of after a single use, or they can be designed to be used multiple times. In either case, however, the device can be reconditioned for reuse after at least one use. Reconditioning can include any combination of the steps of disassembly of the device, followed by cleaning or replacement of particular pieces, and subsequent reassembly. In particular, the device can be disassembled, and any number of the particular pieces or parts of the device can be selectively replaced or removed in any combination. Upon cleaning and/or replacement of particular parts, the device can be reassembled for subsequent use either at a reconditioning facility, or by a surgical team immediately prior to a surgical procedure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that reconditioning of a device can utilize a variety of techniques for disassembly, cleaning/replacement, and reassembly. Use of such techniques, and the resulting reconditioned device, are all within the scope of the present application.

Preferably, the invention described herein will be processed before surgery. First, a new or used instrument is obtained and if necessary cleaned. The instrument can then be sterilized. In one sterilization technique, the instrument is placed in a closed and sealed container, such as a plastic or TYVEK bag. The container and instrument are then placed in a field of radiation that can penetrate the container, such as gamma radiation, x-rays, or high-energy electrons. The radiation kills bacteria on the instrument and in the container. The sterilized instrument can then be stored in the sterile container. The sealed container keeps the instrument sterile until it is opened in the medical facility.

Any patent, publication, or other disclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated materials does not conflict with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth in this disclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.

While this invention has been described as having exemplary designs, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A surgical instrument, comprising: a first jaw member configured to operably support a staple cartridge that has a plurality of staples therein; a second jaw member removably couplable to said first jaw member to enable tissue to be clamped therebetween; at least one pusher bar assembly operably supported relative to said first jaw member and being configured to selectively apply a firing motion to the staples supported in the staple cartridge as said at least one pusher bar assembly is distally advanced through the staple cartridge; a knife bar operably supported relative to said first jaw member and said at least one pusher bar assembly, said knife bar being configured to cut tissue clamped between said first and second jaw members; and a selector switch operably interfacing with said knife bar and being movable between an activated position wherein an application of an activation motion to said at least one pusher bar assembly causes said knife bar and said at least one pusher bar assembly to simultaneously move in a distal direction within said first jaw member and a deactivated position whereupon application of said activation motion to said at least one pusher bar assembly causes said at least one pusher bar assembly to move in said distal direction without moving said knife bar in said distal direction.
 2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein said knife bar and said at least one pusher bar assembly are operably supported by a pusher block that is movably supported within a portion of said first jaw member, said pusher block operably interfacing with said selector switch.
 3. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein said selector switch comprises a selector bar movably supported within said pusher block and being selectively movable between said activated position wherein said pusher block is coupled to said knife bar and a said deactivated position wherein said pusher block is selectively movable relative to said knife bar.
 4. The surgical instrument of claim 3, wherein said at least one pusher bar is attached to said pusher block and wherein said knife bar is slidably received within a longitudinal slot in said pusher block and wherein said selector bar is selectively movable along an axis that is substantially transverse to said longitudinal slot between said activated and deactivated positions.
 5. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein said knife bar has a blade on a distal end thereof.
 6. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein said blade is detachable from said distal end of said knife bar.
 7. The surgical instrument of claim 1, comprising a blade operably supported in said staple cartridge and configured to receive a cutting motion from said knife bar.
 8. The surgical instrument of claim 7, wherein said distal end of said knife bar is configured to abut said blade in said staple cartridge and advance said blade distally within said staple cartridge upon said application of said activation motion to said knife bar.
 9. A surgical stapling instrument, comprising: a first jaw member configured to operably support a staple cartridge having a plurality of staples stored therein, wherein at least one of said first jaw member and the staple cartridge is configured to slidably support a staple driver configured to deploy the staples from the staple cartridge; a second jaw member removably couplable to said first jaw member for selectively clamping tissue therebetween, said second jaw member having an anvil portion configured to deform the staples when the staples are deployed from the staple cartridge; at least one pusher bar configured to move the staple driver relative to said first jaw member and said second jaw member; an actuator knob extending from said at least one pusher bar and being movable toward distal ends of said first and second jaw members; a knife bar operably supported relative to said actuator knob; and selector means interacting with said actuator knob and said knife bar for selectively engaging said knife bar with said actuator knob such that when said actuator knob is moved toward said distal ends of said first and second jaw members, said knife bar and said at least one pusher bar are advanced toward said distal ends of said first and second jaw members, said selector means further configured to selectively disengage the knife bar from said actuator knob such that when said actuator knob is moved toward said distal ends of said first and second jaw members, said at least one pusher bar is advanced toward said distal ends of said first and second jaw members without said knife bar being advanced therewith.
 10. A surgical instrument, comprising: a first jaw member configured to operably support a staple cartridge that has a plurality of staples therein; a second jaw member coupled to said first jaw member for selectively clamping tissue therebetween; at least one pusher member assembly configured to selectively apply a firing motion to the staples supported in the staple cartridge as said at least one pusher member assembly is distally advanced through the staple cartridge; a knife member configured to cut tissue clamped between said first and second jaw members; and a selector operably interfacing with said knife member, and being movable between a deactivated position wherein said at least one pusher member assembly is configured to move without moving said knife member therewith, and an activated position which enables said knife member and said at least one pusher member assembly to move simultaneously.
 11. A surgical stapling instrument, comprising: a first jaw member configured to operably support a staple cartridge having a plurality of staples stored therein, wherein at least one of said first jaw member and the staple cartridge is configured to slidably support a staple driver configured to deploy the staples from the staple cartridge; a second jaw member coupled to said first jaw member for selectively clamping tissue therebetween, said second jaw member having an anvil portion configured to deform the staples when the staples are deployed from the staple cartridge; at least one pusher member configured to move the staple driver relative to said first jaw member and said second jaw member; a knife member configured to cut tissue clamped between said first and second jaw members; an actuator operably engaged to said at least one pusher member; and an activator for selectively engaging said knife member with said actuator such that when said activator is activated, said actuator actuates said knife member and said at least one pusher member simultaneously, and when the activator is deactivated, said actuator engages said at least one pusher member without engaging said knife member therewith. 